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White House Calls for New Rules to Cut Methane Emissions

Initiative Is Part of Strategy to Address Climate Change

By

Amy Harder

Updated March 28, 2014 6:46 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration on Friday directed several federal agencies to clamp down on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas emitted from natural gas and other industries, fleshing out an initiative that attempts to address environmental concerns without harming the nation's booming natural-gas industry.

The White House move is part of President Barack Obama's broader plan announced last June to tackle climate change. The administration's methane strategy reflects a reluctance to commit right now to new...